Social Media is all the rage these days. Can you imagine going through an entire day and not posting your activities? Probably not. But should you post everything you do every day? One of the biggest risks you can make is posting too much information. Be careful of the possible dangers you may create if you post compromising information.
Letting the World Know “No One’s Home”
Don’t Let the World Know You’re Not Home
Image via Flickr by waferboard
Perhaps one of the most dangerous faux pas you can commit while out of town is alerting thieves that your home will be unoccupied for the foreseeable future. Burglars scour social media sites, hoping for a great post like this, alerting them to the fact that your home will be empty, and ripe for the picking.
Telling the World Where They Can Find You at All Times
Don’t Tell the World Where You Are
Image via Flickr by FlyingSinger
One of the most-used apps on social media sites is a geographical locator. These apps quickly let you tell others exactly where you are at the time of your post. Although this feature may seem like a neat way to say, “Look where I am!” it’s also a way to let potential danger find you. There are people out there who use social media networks to stalk their prey. If you use a geographical locator, you’re telling your potential stalker exactly when and where to find you.
Alerting Your Boss That You’re Not at Work
Don’t Let Your Boss Know Through Social Media
Image via Flickr by ilamont.com
Remember, when you post anything to your social media network, anyone can see it, including your boss. The last thing you want to have happen is for your boss to discover that you’re out of town when you’re supposed to be working.
Sharing Events That Should Remain Private
Don’t Share Private Stuff That You Don’t Want Others to Know
Image via Flickr by Daniel Morris
Have you ever been embarrassed about something you said the morning after a binder? Imagine having it plastered all over the Internet. If you post your status to your social media sites while you’re drunk and don’t realize what you’re doing, you risk having information you wanted to keep private leaking all over the web. More importantly, you risk future potential employers seeing what you want to keep private from them.
Posting The Location of Other People
Don’t Let Everyone Know the Location of Your Friends
Image via Flickr by AMagill
Even if you still feel comfortable posting your “away” status, other members or your group may not be. Remember, if you’re mentioning you’re away with a group of people, your companions are now in the spotlight too. Do not mention anything about the rest of your group being out of town if they’re not comfortable with it. Even if you don’t mention them by name, anyone who knows other members of your group will be able to figure out that they’re away too.
So the next time you’re out of town with your new ultrabook laptop, think twice before posting an update or Tweet. You Know what they say about “assume,” right? Well, never assume that you are safe when using social networking. You may think, “What’s the harm?” when posting what you’re doing while out of town, but there are too many potential dangers out there, and you need to protect yourself from them.
This article is written by Shaun Chatman, a prolific freelance writer who has been featured on many authority sites. In his spare time, Shaun loves playing with his two kids or his collection of gadgets.